Clooney: an image made in heaven.

12 Jan Clooney: an image made in heaven.

Last night George Clooney, in apparent authenticity at its finest during his acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, further cemented his stellar image as one of the good guys. Watch it and weep, for what happened in less than 4 minutes while he was on stage can hardly be duplicated in its effect.

Women everywhere are still starry-eyed today. Clooney’s testament to his new wife, Amal, laid bare for her, and the rest the world, to hear, to see—first his face, then hers—and to feel.

As we watched, and as we watch again and again today, Clooney charmingly halted and stammered and blushed—this was real. It wasn’t planned, wasn’t scripted, wasn’t smooth. We hung on every word.

First, in tribute to his friends on stage with him, Julianna Margulies and Don Cheadle. Then, in appreciation for the success of small films, and his gratitude at being able to be an actor, win or lose.

Clooney talks about other things, not himself. When he does talk about himself, the words are self-deprecating. They feel honest. He sounds convicted about whatever he is saying. He makes his words important.

Finally, his love for his wife. Her face, his face, back and forth. It was magic—the beautiful people were real. And then he used a beautiful, mysterious word in reference to finally finding her: alchemy. “I’m proud to be your husband,” he said, for all the world to hear.

People everywhere today are asking what alchemy means. For the record, it means this: “any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.” Wow.

With less than 4 minutes of impromptu dialogue on stage, Clooney expanded his image 1000-fold. His stature rose immensely. Marriage becomes him.

Clooney ended his remarks—going broad to underscore the world’s stand against terrorism, per recent events in Paris. Je suis Charlie, he said finally.

What’s this really about? These beautiful four minutes were all about authenticity. That is what building image is about—showing the world something real about yourself.

The whole world heard Clooney tell it like it is for less than 4 minutes last night. The whole time he talked, we knew we were hearing the real thing. That’s where the true magic happened.